Method of constructing building-frames and analogous frames.



R. H. ROBINSON.

METHOD or CONSTRUCTING BUILDING FRAMES AND ANALOGOUS FRAMES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3, 1908.

THE NORRIS P EIERS c0 PHOTO L/THU WAS/l! .Icu L 1' summits .aarrvr mo ROY RGBIIISON, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF CUNSTRUCTING BUILDING-FRAMES AND ABIALOGO'US FRAMES.

Application filed. February 8. 1963.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, For HENRY ROBIN- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and Improved Method of Constructing Build ing-Frames and Analogous Frames, of which the following is a specification.

T his invention relates to an improved method of constructing building frames, and refers more particularly to a method of forming and assembling frame structures of the so-called reinforced concrete type.

'Ihe salient object of the invention is to provide a method of construction and assembling which enables each step in the carrying out of the method to be performed under the most advantageous and economical conditions, and which results in the production of a frame structure of maximum strength and efficiency.

Reinforced concrete frame structures are already to a considerable extent in use, and this art is rapidly growing. The practice of building such frame structures, so far as I am advised, is now carried out by building temporary forms or molds, within which the metallic reinforcements are arranged and into which the concrete filling is poured and tamped, hardens and assumes its final shape in place. Usually the frame, or it may be the entire walls, of the building, is built up progressively, the temporary forms being carried or built up in advance of the formation of the frame members or wall.

Obviously the construction of buildings in the manner above set forth is attended sulting in disastrous failure of the wall or concrete frame structure.

In carrymg out my present 1nvent1on, I adopt a method of constructlon for building .the individual frame members, which enables them to be practically completed separately and without delay, and subsequently assembled and anchored together to form a monolithic or integrally united frame structure.

Patented Apr. I3, I915.

Serial No. 413,347.

A more complete understanding of the method will be best had by a description of w a concrete example of carrying it out in de tail.

In the accompanying drawings, to which reference will be madeFigure 1 is a perspective view of a trough-shaped sheet metal concrete reinforcement which forms the skeleton, so to speak, of a frame member; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a similar reinforcement filled with concrete, except as .to 1ts ends, and ready for the assembling on a much smaller scale). Fig. 6 is a cross section of one of the completed beams or girders.

Preferably, in carrying out my method I provide sheet metal reinforcements of such form that they serve preliminarily as either skeletons or molds to which the concrete may be applied to impart to it the desired structural form, and which metal reinforcements are subsequently inclosed in a covering of concrete or plaster so as to become in fact internalreinforcing members.

A fundamental feature of the present invention resides in forming these structural frame members independently of each other, subsequently assembling them and intogrally uniting them. As will hereinafter appear, both the uprights or pillars, and the stringers or beams, may be formed substantially or nearly complete before being transferred to their final position in the assembled frame structure. Preferably, however, I construct the uprights or pillars in sites, and construct the horizontal beams or stringers on the ground or ground floor, or 1 at other most convenient place, and after so constructing them transfer them to their place in the frame structure and there unite them with the uprights and form a monolithic frame.

In carrying out the herein described preferred form of the method, I provide for each pillar a set of tubular sheet metal members, as 1, 1, etc., which are adapted to fit and telescope together and so constitute a tubular mold. Having adjusted the base sectionsv of the several pillars in place on the foundation or footing and at suitably spaced intervals, concrete is filled in to nearly fill the first length or section of each pillar. Thereupon a second section is telescoped upon the first and the concrete again filled in, and in thismanner each pillar is carried up to a height about coincident with the proposed point of juncture of the first set of beams or stringers therewith.

At the points where the beams or stringers are to intersect the pillars the tubular castings of the pillars are apertured as indicated at 2. to receive the ends of the beams, and I prefer to so form these apertures that they will be partly .cut out of each of the '7 two meeting and telescoping ends of'the connected pillar sections.

To form the stringers or beams herein shown I provide trough-shaped sheet metal containers, designated 3, which are preferably left open at the ends and top, and are preferably formed of the so-called ferro-inclave metal, 2'. 6. sheet metal corrugated into such form that it presents both interiorly and exteriorly inclave surfaces. These containers are in cross sectional form approximately the same as the proposed cross sectional form of the stringer, but

will ordinarily be of somewhat smaller di- 35 mensions than the finished'stringer, so that the container may be exteriorly covered with concrete or plaster. The properly shaped container is filled with concrete or analogous cementitious filling, except for a shortportion at each end, as for example '1 as shown in Fig. 2, and this filling is most advantageously accomplished onthe fioor immediately beneath the point where they are to be finally located, or the beams or stringers might be made at any suitable place and transported to the building. Preferablythe lateral edgesof the containers 3 at each end thereof are provided with outstanding fianges or anchor tongues 4', as shown clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. "After the concrete filling has been inserted it is allowed; to harden within the container, thus formingpractically a complete rigid beam composed in. chief of concrete, but covered as to its sides and bottom with a'thin meta-l "inclave surfaced reinforcement, which reinforcement is obviously anchored over its 7 entire area to the contained body of concrete. The next step. of the method lS'lJO adjust these stringers or beams into position, extending from pillar to pillar, and to unite them with,"or anchor them to, the pillars.

. The beams may be swung to place with the usual crane or other suitable apparatus, precisely as though they were metal or wooden frame members, and their ends lowered into the seats formed by the openings 2 in the pillars therefor. Having been thus adjusted to position they are anchored permanently in place, joined into a monolithic structure by inserting and tamping in concrete to fill the incomplete ends of the stringers and to fill the interior of the pillar shell around the inserted ends of the beams. Preferably before filling in the concrete they are tied together by cross-links 7 as shown in Fig. 5. The next upper section of the pillar shell or container is then adjusted to position and telescoped down over or within the preceding section, whereupon the process of building up the pillars to the height of the next story is repeated. In this manner story after story of the building is completed, and it is to be noted that there need be no delay or waiting for any considerable period of time at any step of the construction and erection of the frame structure.

As a final step, which step may, if pre ferred, be entirely omitted, the exteriors of the several frame structures are provided with a coating of either concrete or suitable plaster. This outer coating very considerably reinforces the strength of the frame members, forms a monolithic envelop which provides a suitable finish for the frame and seals in and additional unites the metal re inforcements in such a manner that they are rendered fireproof, are not subject to oxidation, and are incapable of movement in a manner to break them away from their contained masses of concrete.

It is to be noted that this method of construction lends itself admirably to the employment of internal metal reinforcements in the form of rods, bars or strands. These may be used both in the horizontal or beam members and in the uprights or pillars. Accordingly, in Fig. 6 I have shown a cross sectional' view of a beam member provided in its, lower side with longitudinally extending rod-like reinforcements 5. These reinforcements are, of course, put in place before the concrete is filled into the container. If desired, these reinforcements may be of the well-known Kahn type.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the beams or horizontal frame members as not only anchored to the pillars, but linked to each other through the body of eachpillar; this being the general method; and furthermore, that the precise manner of performing the several steps may be to some extent varied without departing from the invention.

1 claim as my invention:

The herein described method of making and erecting frame structures formed of reinforced concrete, which consists in providing separate metal reinforcing form giving container elements With open ends for the several upright pillars and horizontal beams or girders, filling said upright container elements in situ With plastic concrete to approximately the level of the bottom of said girders when in position, filling said container elements for the girders with plastic concrete With the exception of the ends While they are horizontally supported and before said containers are placed in assembled position, allowing the concrete to harden sufliciently to give the girders the necessary rigidity to permit handling, then assembling said partially complete girder members with their open ends in proper relation to the unfilled upper ends of the pillars, and completely filling the ends of the pillar and girder containers before the concrete therein has set to such an extent as to make a union with fresh plastic concrete impossible thereby joining the parts in a monolithic structure.

ROY HENRY ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

EMILIE ROSE, F. L. BELKNAP.

(Topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, 1) addressin the Commissioner of Patents, 3 g Washington, D. 0. 

